Here are 25 basic steps to take to increase traffic to your blog:
1. Structure a reader and search engine blog;
2. In blogging content is king create unique, high quality content so publish fresh content frequently;
3. Learn basic SEO so you can use keywords effectively and apply basic SEO to your headlines, blog and posts;
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the “natural” or un-paid (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results.
4. Make your blog posts look professional;
5. Create at least 4-6 pillar posts and continue to create pillar posts;
Pillar posts are also referred to as flagship content. Pillar posts are comprehensive posts that offer great value to readers as the contents are timeless in nature. They define you as having authority in the niche you blog in.
6. Select and link to appropriate anchor text;
7. Leave meaningful comments on related blogs and encourage comments on your own blog;
8. Develop relationships with other bloggers so you can build a blog readers’ community around your own blog;
9. Support the blog centered communities on related blogs by commenting on them and promoting posts from them;
10. Link to authoritative sources in your posts;
11. Deep link to your earlier related posts in your new posts;
12. Assign appropriate categories and tag your posts with care;
13. Link to related authoritative blogs in your blogroll;
14. Provide RSS feeds for subscribers;
RSS (Rich Site Summary or really simple syndication) is a format for delivering regularly changing web content. Many news-related sites, weblogs and other online publishers syndicate their content as an RSS Feed to whoever wants it.
15. Having a well designed theme is important, evaluate your theme for effectiveness, and if required, create a new header, make improvements or replace your theme and reduce page loading time;
16. Avoid cluttering your blog with widgets that lack reader value and slow page loading time;
17. Buy your own domain and domain mapping;
18. Verify your blog with the three big search engines.
19. Get organized, use an online to do list by developing a blogging workflow;
20. Join social networks and social media sites like Facebook and use Twitter, Friendfeed and other Free RSS directories to promote your blog posts;
21. Promote your blog through social networks, online groups, and selected directories;
22. Develop a social media time management strategy and stick to it;
23. Submit your latest pillar article to a blog carnival;
24. Become a guest blogger on sites with higher page rank than your own site.
25. Create newsletters and/or ebooks for your subscribers.

I read your suggestions and they sound helpful, For someone with limited knowledge of how to implement these ideas. I am lost. The how-to's offered never seem simple enough for me to follow. How do I link my blog to a site? What happens when I do? how do you verify your blog with 3 big search engines...how do you use RSS-its not "really simple" to me-Ive tried to read tutorials on a lot of this-it just looses me-any suggestions on a REAL 101 on these topics that might help me. I didn't grow up in the tech age, it's rewarding to try it, but I feel I will never get the hang of it. I've written on internet sites for 3 years+ and am still lost...

I didn't grow up in the tech age, it's rewarding to try it, but I feel I will never get the hang of it. I've written on internet sites for 3 years+ and am still lost...

Neither did I. But I did know how to use Google search and I did know how to type into searchboxes. When th terms I used yielded no results I went to Google search and searched for synonyms I could enter into the searchbox that did provide results.

You can also click my username and when you do you will discover it's linked to a WordPress.com blogging tips blog. There are tutorials on my site that address all the 25 points above and far more than that.

@sarahjanee13 - just take your time, find blogs you like to read, comment in them and click on the usernames of the people who post comments to them (the comments that look good to you, don't bother with the ones that don't), read their blogs, and so on - you'll soon find people coming to your blog via comments you've left, and you'll find more blogs yourself that way.

If you're into social media you can add those to your blog, too. Here's how:

Hey Sarahjane. I'm new here too. But my Blog has been active for over a year and a half on another platform. As a blogger no one has ever left a comment, good or bad, that I did not pop over to their blog. Once you start gaining a following I also highly recommend responding to those who took the effort to comment on your blog. Now my blog is not hugely popular or anything, but then personal blogs rarely are, but I do have a regular following of some pretty loyal readers, which is what it is all about for me.